Serving in youth ministry is both rewarding and challenging. As a leader, you’re a catalyst for helping teenagers grow as disciples of Jesus, a counselor who must deal with upset parents and discouraged adolescents, and an EMT who has to treat the occasional dodgeball injury. Often, all in the same day. As you walk through the ups and downs of your calling, we’re here to support, encourage, and equip you with ideas that will fuel your journey as a Jesus-centered leader.
What You’ll Find
Our leadership topics are designed to give you the knowledge and skills to confidently guide your ministry. We’ll cover the must-know areas—including working with parents and volunteers, planning and productivity, and the broad range of skills you need as an adolescent specialist in ministry. And, most important, we’ll help you grow your own relationship with Jesus so your leadership flows out of a “deeper well.”
Every Tuesday I eat lunch with our Children’s Ministry Pastor. I do it for three reasons…He’s a good friend, an extremely strategic thinker and every youth pastor needs to be in cahoots with the Children’s Pastor. Last week, while I chewed on a bun-less chili burger (Yes, chili burgers are totally healthy if you exclude the bun), Steve shared three key questions he asks about his ministry on a regular basis.…
Maintaining healthy relationships is a priority in all areas of life, but our ministry world requires special attention. Ultimately, we spend about a third of our lives working, which means we spend a third of our days with co-workers. That’s a significant amount of time, so we want the atmosphere to be positive and productive for everyone.…
In a counseling class I took in college, students were placed into groups to work on a project. I don’t remember the topic we tackled, but I sure remember the people. They were awful! I can laugh about it now, but that experience was tough.…
Confession… my favorite part of being wrong is when I admit it out loud. That may seem like the average person’s least favorite moment. Let me explain why I feel the opposite about it. When you’re wrong, there’s usually someone who is passionately trying to point it out to you.…
You’ve been there. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit. “There” is that moment when you admit, and determine to do something about, what you’ve already been sensing for a little while: Things in your ministry just aren’t clicking.…
This morning I walked into staff prayer, and true confession time, I didn’t want to be there. I knew it was expected that I showed up, I even knew it would be beneficial yet, still my “to-do list” was looming at the forefront of my brain.…
When it comes to the topic of youth pastor/senior pastor relations, there simply is no “norm”. And, I’m not even sure there is an “ideal” we should all strive to attain. Is it ideal to have a cordial, yet mostly non-existent relationship?…
For better or for worse, we are all currently building a legacy. When we move on to whatever comes next in our life journey, the next generation of leaders will inherit the foundations that have been laid in our youth ministries as well as everything we’ve left unfinished. …
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” I’m not sure who first coined that infamous saying, but it is somehow simultaneously genius and defeatist. Pragmatically speaking, it makes sense. Why fight against the inevitable? But few things seem as depressing as giving up and giving in when we know there’s a better way!…
Most people, and understandably so, spend a good portion of their time trying to avoid making mistakes. A mistake on the playing field might cost you the game. A mistake with your bank account can cost you some points on your credit score.…
